Below is a list of frequently asked questions about Outlook and Microsoft 365. 

 

To check how much quota you are using following the steps below:

  1. Login to your Microsoft 365 account with your HawkID and HawkID password. 
  2. Click the Settings (gear) icon
  3. Select Options
  4. Select Account

In the Mailbox Usage you can see the amount of space you have available.

Yes, however if you need this capability your Departmental IT Support person should send a request to its-email@uiowa.edu and provide the following information

1) Hawk ID of the Account Owner 

2) Hawk ID(s) of who needs the 'Send As' function.

Outlook allows you to cancel (recall) messages that you have sent to other Outlook users. However, this feature is not available in Outlook on the web.  This feature can be useful if you send a message and then you discover errors in the message and want to prevent the recipient from reading it. However, the Recall feature is somewhat limited due to the following reasons:

  • You can only recall messages from recipients who are currently logged onto the network and using Outlook.
  • You can only recall messages that have not been read or moved out of the recipient's Inbox.
  • When you attempt to recall a message, a recall notification appears in the recipient's Inbox and remains there while the recall process is taking place. If the recipient has the Outlook Inbox open, this notification may prompt them to immediately open the message you are attempting to recall.
  • The recall process can take several minutes, during which time the recipient can see the recall notice in their Inbox and can open and read the message you are attempting to recall.
  • Recalling a message to an address not on our Office 365 system will most likely not work.

To recall a message, open your Sent Items folder, display the message and click on Actions | Recall this message

Both of these email services are owned and operated by Microsoft, so if you are logged into your Microsoft 365 account, you must open a new browser in order to access your personal outlook.com (formally known as Hotmail.com) account at the same time.

NOTE: it should be a new browser--not just a new window or tab. For example, if you are logged in to outlook.com on Google Chrome, use Firefox for Microsoft 365. 

If Outlook is showing your images/pictures in email messages as a red X, you can change that in your Outlook settings.

First, check to see what your download settings are:  

Choose File | Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings - is there a checkbox next to "Don't download pictures automatically in standard HTML email messages or RSS items"?   If so, you can change the default value by deselecting the checkbox and clicking OK to save the changes.

If the box is not selected, you may need to run the fix provided by Microsoft - see Pictures cannot be displayed and are shown as red X in Outlook

You may have started receiving messages with the subject of "Your Daily Briefing" from Microsoft Viva (viva-noreply@microsoft.com).  The Daily Briefing emails are personal and private and only sent to you - no one else can see them including your IT Admin or your manager. According to Microsoft, the Briefing emails can help you plan for meetings by showing you related tasks or documents, manage your tasks and make the most of your time. 

Turning off the Microsoft Viva Messages

You can turn off the daily briefings by clicking the Unsubscribe link in the Daily Briefing email message. NOTE: It can sometimes take a week or so for the unsubscribe to take effect.

Shared account owners will need to login to Outlook on the web in your browser using the shared account's credentials in order to unsubscribe.

 

More information on Microsoft Viva can be found at Briefing email from Microsoft Viva FAQ and How Cortana helps you in Briefing email from Microsoft Viva

Focused Inbox is a feature of Microsoft 365. Focused Inbox helps you take control of your inbox and focus on the emails that matter most.  It will separate your inbox mail into two tabs -- Focused and Other. 

All versions of Outlook give you one consistent view of the important items in your inbox.  If you are using Outlook for Windows or Mac, the Outlook mobile app or Microsoft 365 Outlook on the web, this feature is already available.  

Focused Inbox replaced the Clutter feature, however if you have the Clutter feature turned on, the folder will remain.  Beginning January 31, 2020, the Clutter feature no longer works.  

For more detailed information on Focused Inbox, see Focused Inbox for Outlook 

 

Article number: 
125911
Last updated: 
September 19, 2023